Gov. Phil Murphy chided those who are looking to minimize the number of coronavirus cases in New Jersey, especially among children. “There are those on one side in this who will preface these numbers with the word ‘only’,” said Murphy during his press briefing Aug. 9. “We have (had) seven losses of life since the beginning of this awful pandemic of kids under the age of 18. They are essentially perfectly accepting of these numbers. We can never say ‘only’ to that.” The governor’s comments came in response to criticism of his announcement that the school year will begin with a mask mandate for students, teachers, staff and visitors. As of Aug. 9, state officials noted there are currently 13 kids with COVID being treated in New Jersey hospitals, two of whom are in intensive care. “This is what ‘only’ means to them. They are saying that they’re fine with kids, many, by the way, still too young to be vaccinated, contracting COVID,” said Murphy. North-JerseyNews.com
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York said he would resign from office, succumbing to a sexual harassment scandal. Cuomo said his resignation would take effect in 14 days. Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, will be sworn in to replace him, becoming the first woman in history to occupy New York State’s top office. “Given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing,” Cuomo said. “And therefore, that’s what I’ll do.” The New York Times
State Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg (D-37) welcomed New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo‘s decision to resign over allegations he sexually harassed multiple women. “I think he made the right move, allowing somebody else to become the governor and dealing with the major issues around COVID and issues that affect the tri-state area,” said Weinberg, New Jersey’s highest-ranking woman state lawmaker. “It was much too distracting and completely inappropriate for him to continue serving.” State Sen. Holly Schepisi (R-39) said Cuomo “deserves to be held accountable for the abuses reported by many women and detailed in the New York Attorney General’s comprehensive report. His resignation was necessary, overdue, and perhaps just the first step of that process.” NJ.com
New Jersey’s two U.S. Senators lauded the passage of the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill as a win for the Garden State, with funding of the Gateway Tunnel Project the centerpiece for lawmakers. “We have turned President (Joe) Biden’s pledge to ‘Build Back Better’ from a slogan into a once-in-a-generation investment that will put millions of people to work building a more competitive, equitable, and sustainable economy for the 21st century,” said Sen. Bob Menendez. Sen. Cory Booker added, “New Jersey and our country badly need federal investment to modernize our nation’s rail and transit systems, repair our crumbling roads and tunnels and deteriorating water systems, strengthen cyberinfrastructure, expand broadband access, and combat climate change.” North-JerseyNews.com
Nine of New Jersey’s U.S. Representatives signed onto a letter urging the inclusion of clean energy provisions into the upcoming House infrastructure bill. “As we advance legislation to rebuild and renew America’s infrastructure, we encourage you to continue your commitment to combating the climate crisis by including critical clean energy, energy efficiency, and clean transportation tax incentives in the upcoming infrastructure package,” reads the letter signed by 180 members of the House, which is addressed to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. New Jersey Globe
The average gallon of gas in New Jersey is currently $3.20, two cents higher than the national rate and up from $2.17 at the same time a year ago, according to AAA. The rate in the Garden State is the lowest of its neighbors, with New York clocking in at $3.22 and Pennsylvania at $3.28. The price increase, according to an AAA official, stems from “demand increased during the Summer of 2021, whereas it simply dropped off in the Summer of 2020.” NJ1015.com
Stockholm resident Scott Kevin Fairlamb recently pled guilty to two felony charges of assault on a police officer during the insurrection attempt in Washington, DC, Jan. 6. Fairlamb attended the “Stop the Steal” rally, and after arriving at the Capitol Grounds, climbed the scaffolding on the West terrace. Later, Fairlamb was caught on camera inserting himself into a line of MPD officers, where he shoved and punched an officer. will face sentencing Sept. 27. Federal prosecutors will seek to keep Fairlamb, the son of a deceased New Jersey state trooper and brother of a Secret Service agent, in prison for 3 to 4 years. The Sussex County resident has agreed to pay $2,000 in restitution and will cooperate with the FBI should they request to interview him before his sentencing. North-JerseyNews.com
More than 200 New Jersey officers from dozens of agencies were recently found guilty of serious misconduct, according to new data that offers the first comprehensive look at how local police discipline their own. The 203 officers who were punished, some repeatedly, represent a fraction of the state’s more than 38,000 police. Their actions ranged from the relatively minor—one cop was suspended 10 days for falling asleep on the job—to drunken driving, harassment and filing false reports. A total of 87 law enforcement agencies reported at least one case of major discipline, out of approximately 500 departments total. NJ Spotlight News
The U.S. Justice Department said the FBI would review classified documents related to 9/11 that families who lost loved ones in the terrorist attack said could answer questions about possible Saudi Arabia involvement. The agency told U.S. District Judge George Daniels and U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in New York City that the FBI now would “identify additional information appropriate for disclosure” and review its earlier claims that it could not provide documents. NJ.com
Law enforcement in New Jersey cannot secretly record telephone calls made in police stations or use any information they hear in such calls because surreptitious recordings violate constitutionally protected privacy rights, the New Jersey Supreme Court decreed in a ruling Aug. 10. In writing the unanimous decision, Justice Barry T. Albin said a police station “is not a constitution-free zone. The warrantless and surreptitious monitoring or recording of calls of an arrestee who is presumed innocent does not comport with the values of privacy that are prized in our free society.” The case arose when the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office used a recording at a Piscataway of a man to his girlfriend to secure a grand jury indictment on weapons and related offenses. New Jersey Monitor
The National Weather Service has issued an excessive heat warning that will go in effect from 11 a.m. Wednesday through at least Thursday evening. A heat advisory is also in effect through Friday evening, as twenty of the state’s 21 counties will be under some sort of heat warning or advisory in the coming days. The Daily Record
Rutherford named as the redeveloper of the Williams Center a longtime borough resident who has ambitions of saving the historic theater while adding a residential component to the site. Chuck Olvio, a 16-year resident of Rutherford, will acquire the property for $1, the same price Rutherford paid for it last week when Bergen County, which had owned the property since September 1987, transferred it to the borough. The Record
The Newton town council approved a local tax on all marijuana businesses at its first in person meeting for the first time in 18 months. The local tax on cannabis-related businesses is 2% on receipts of cannabis products at the cultivator, manufacture and retail levels, and a 1% tax on receipts of wholesalers. Officials are optimistic the town would be among the first in the county to get commercial cannabis businesses. New Jersey Herald
And finally…Two school-aged Jersey City residents donated 92,000 bottles of hand sanitizer to the city to be distributed to schools, the homeless shelters and anywhere else it is needed. The Jersey Journal
